On Thursday, 21st at the Bow Tie Cinemas #ActuallySheCan, the inspiring female empowerment campaign by the leading women’s healthcare company Allergan, premiered three short films in association with Tribeca Digital Studios—Leaders of the Pack, directed by Erin Sanger, La Cocinera, directed by Emily Harrold and Chromat: Body Electric directed by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg at the Tribeca Film Festival. The films were all directed by female filmmakers and tell the stories of young women who are defying all odds, challenging convention, and “out to prove that #ActuallySheCan”.
Leaders of the Pack tells the story of two incredible women, as photojournalist Katie Orlinsky who captures Kristin Knight Pace, a musher in the 2016 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. La Cocinera brings us the inspiring story one of the youngest and most successful chefs in New York City, Daniela Soto-Innes. A 25 years old, Daniela is Chef de Cuisine of renowned Mexican restaurant Cosme in New York City. Chromat: Body Electric follows the story of emerging fashion designer Becca McCharen as she prepares her clothing line for New York Fashion Week. Becca’s work embraces women of all shapes and sizes and is made from innovative and technological stance.
After the screening award winning actress, Sarah Jessica Parker lead a Q&A discussion with the directors and documentary subjects about their life journeys, inspirations, and advice for others. Check out our exclusive coverage:
Sarah Jessica Parker: It’s really thrilling to sit in a darker theater and get to watch these wonderful and interesting well told stories about and by such amazing women and subjects and filmmakers in my opinion are incredible impressive people. These stories are filled with ambition and vision and struggle and triumph and not feel inspired and here more from all of you. I’m very pleased to be joined by you all tonight, talented female directors and compelling subjects. Each of these women are a perfect illustration of the power of ambition and conviction
Do you think ambition is an accurate portrayal as yourself as ambitious people and women?
Becca McCharen: I really work hard to get where I’m at. I’m really driven and motivated to be where we are at with Chromat. We want to do something bigger with every season. That drive and motivation comes with knowing that what we do matters to people who see our work. It’s a positive feeling because we know that we representation people who aren’t normally represented in fashion. That is one one thing that really drives me, the community that we are in and representing.
Katie Orlinsky: I’d say I’m ambitious. I’m always seeking knowledge and am always curious so that sort of of leads me to want to get to a certain level in my career were I have the opportunity to do so. It’s a funny word ambition. I would definitely consider myself ambitious but it’s never how I described myself.
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Sarah Jessica Parker: When you are looking at your work, do you think your world view is the point of view of being a women or curiosity?
Katie Orlinsky: I’m a woman and I do tell a lot of stories that focus on women but not exclusively. The interesting part is that history is told by men and I’m documenting history and journalism has been a male dominated industry for a really long time and it’s moving out of that. Having my own vision and the why I see my stories is coming from a woman and that’s important I think for diversity of the history if the world.
Erin Sanger: Film has been a medium about humanity and if it’s men who are always making films or Caucasians, then how do we have a body of work that we can all appreciate if it’s only told from one perspective? As a documentary filmmaker working on a film like this makes you more aware and opens your eyes.
Sarah Jessica Parker: Tell us the courage of conviction when making a documentary?
Emily Harrold: One thing I love about Documentary is that it is so hard and you do have to care so much about the story you are telling. You probably won’t see money in the beginning but you have to begin shooting and show why the story is important and show it to the world and get it out there and if you care that much about, other people will. It’s very different then the native world in that way.
